Till relatively recently, I knew of De Molen only by reputation. My trip to Amsterdam for the opening of Beer Temple gave me a swift introduction to their world via the wonderful De Molen Black Jack, and their Mout & Mocca, which I did not enjoy so much. I also came back with a small selection of bottles from that house of delights that is De Bierkoning.One of those was the De Molen Rasputin, a Russian Imperial Stout as the name might suggest. Pouring an almost flat, turgid, inky brown, it gives off a thick, chocolatey, vanilla, bourbon cream aroma, with hints of licorice. On first sip the impression is of a beautifully rich chocolate dessert. There's an almost smoky roastiness, and a blackcurrant-like fruitiness that shows most in the finish. This is certainly focussed on the big, rich, chocolatey malts, and the bitterness,as big as the numbers say it is, is definitely in the background. Sweet, thick and rather delicious, it does not taste like the 10.7% ABV that it is.
As a home brewer, the De Molen labels are interesting as they give some prime statistics such as gravity readings, brewed and bottled date as well as the hops used and the IBUs. Perhaps utilitarian, I find them quite attractive.
And now I have that damn Boney M song rattling around my head...
Mmm, that sounds like my kinda beer!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good un! Have two others from their range in the cellar that I'm itching to try... Have to drink the stuff that's at the best before date first though :D
ReplyDeleteOh boy will you be enjoying yourself with De Molen beers...
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great beer Barry. I may have had De Molen beers before, but I'm not sure. The last time I was in the Netherlands I had so many top notch beers that I can't really remember any of them.
ReplyDeleteI had one of these a month or so ago, I thought it was a bit green. I'd love to get another a put it down for a few years, shame my local beer shop is out of this one...
ReplyDeleteRick, so far of the three I've had, two were simply delicious, the third (Mout & Mocca) I wasn't so pleased with. I've two more in the cellar that I want to taste on the same night. I'm looking forward to that one, but as Bob says, it's a question of when. :)
ReplyDeleteSéan, I was quite amazed by the great beers coming out of the Netherlands. That trip to Amsterdam was, strangely, my first time there. I'm only three hours by train away from Amsterdam, and a 40 minute drive to the border. I keep wondering if there are any good beer stores in Enschede!
Bob, that's a kind of eternal question. Drink it now, or leave it for a while? By rights, one should buy two of each. One for immediate pleasure and the other to lay down, and then compare notes. Or at least that would be my justification for buying two or more of everything :)